Index or file



Patented st. 7, 1924.

- entre a mean man reca.

ROBERT D. HAYES, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR T0 INDEX "VISIBLE,V INCORPORATED, 0F NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT,'A CORPORATION OF NEW YORK.

INDEX on FILE.

Application led October 16, 1915. Serial No. 56,304.

To all whom t may con/cera:

ABe it ,known that I, ROBERT D. HAYES, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city and county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Indexes or Files, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to indexes or les,

and it has particular reference to a ,so-called' visible index embodying a plurality offrecord holding members or cards which, in the normal position, are held in overlapped rela-v tion so that only 'the marginal portions thereof are exposed to view. The invention also has special reference to a system of this kind in which each card is held flatwise on a support by a tongue or tongues on the card, as shown, for example, in the Fisher Patent No. 1,048,056, dated Decemberv 24, 1912, although it may be used to advantage in connection with other record systems.

One of the primary objects of the present invention is to provide means for protecting the cards and preventing excessive wear thereof, while at the same time providing for the full visibility of the record matter and the manual manipulation of the cards incident to their application to, and removal from, the support. 'Io this end, each card is provided with a cover of Celluloid or other transparent material constructed in the manner hereinafter described.

Another object of the invention is to provide a record member or card having a protective sheath which is shiftable on the card, while the latter remains in place on a suitable support, so that matter may be written on the card proper, or on a record slip or insert carried thereb without the necessity of removing the car from the support. This is an especially important feature of my invention, because the index or file is thereby made much more convenient than in the case where each record card or slip has to be bodily removed from the support or guide before 'the rotective sheath can be even partly remov To these and other ends, the invention consists in the novel features and combinations of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a fragmentary front elevation of an index `or file embodying my improvements;

Fig. 2 is a front elevation of two of the record members nested together but removed from the support;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged 'end elevation of the parts shown in F ig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a front view, partially broken awly, of a modified form of record member; an

Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on line 5-5 of Fig. 4.

' Referring to the drawing, I have shown a plurality of cards 6 constructed of pasteboard and provided with integral tongues, 7, whereby the several cards are nested together in overlapped relation with their upper margins exposed. rIhe tongues 7 also serve to engage a support or guide in the form of a strip 8, substantially as disclosed in Fisher Patent No. 1,048,056, dated Decem-A ber 24, 1912. Each card or member 6 is provided with a protective sheath 9, preferably of Celluloid or similar transparent ma- Y terial, which extends across the front face of the card and protects the latter, together with the record matter carried thereby, without, however interfering with the visibility of such record matter. In the form shown, the sheath 9 is constituted by a'celluloid strip of approximately the same length and height as the card, having a turned .over flange 10 extending around and behind the top edge of the card, and, a similar iiange 11 extending around and behind the bottom edge of the card. The flanges 10, 11 form in eect guides for the top and bottom edges of the card 6, the construction being such that while the card is held on the support 8 by means yof the tongues 7, the` sheath or cover may be moved wholly or partially eff the card, as shown at the lower part of Flg. 1. Preferably, the ends of the sheath are provided with cut-out portions 12 which enable the end portions of thiel card to be readi-v ly grasped when desired, and preferably -also suitable stops will be provided for preventing displacement of the sheath with respect to the card, under ordinary condltions. In the form shown, the. sheath is provided with small end flanges 13, as shown more particularly in Fig. 3, these flanges being made integral with the celluloid body of the sheath, and being extendedl across the-reis attac to spective ends of the card. lin this manner, the sheath is prevented from jarring-.off the card or being accidentally displaced, but when itis desired to shift the sheath or cover lengthwise of the card in order to expose the surface of the card for writing thereon, this can still be done irrespective of the end Hanges 13, which do not offer .sucient resistance to'prevent this shifting movement.

lin order to permit the manipulation of the tongues 7 from the front of the card, the sheath 9 is rovided with apertures or openings 14 which are substantially 1n registry with the respective ton es when the partsare in the normal position. By this arrangement, the fingers of the operator may be engaged with the tongues in such a manner as to fasten the latter on and remove them from the supporting strip 8.

llt will be observed from Fig. 3 that the tongues of each card serve to receive and support the lower edge of the sheath of the card next above it'. A series of cards may be placed in nested relation and manipulated with respect to each other and the support without any inconvenience being caused by the provision of the protective sheaths or covers. lin the form shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the record matter is written directly on the body of the card, and when it is desired to add new matter or to change the matter already on the card, it is simply necessary to shift the cards so as to isolate the one desired, as shown at the lower part of Fig. 1, after which the sheath of the desired card can be moved either to the right or to the left so as to expose that portion of the card to which access is desired.

lln the form shown in Figs. 4 and 5, they dimensions of the card 611 and sheath 9a are somewhat diere t from the corresponding elements shown in Figs. 1 to 3, although the principle is the same. Here, however, a rec ord slip or insert 15 of comparatively thin paper is interposed between the body portion of the cover or sheath and the front surface of the card proper, and the record matter is written directly on this slip or insert instead of on the card proper, although it will be understood that record matter may also be placed upon the card 6a itself if desired, as well as upon the insert. That is to say, either one or both of these elements may be used for the reception of reference material. lln this particular case, the end stops on the sheath are omitted, and the record-carrying surface yis much larger than in Figs. 1-3, on account of the dimensions of the card and the fact that the slip or. insert is imperforate.

lit will be observed thatl the transparent sheath, which extends over substantially the entire area of the front the latter at the upper and lower edges of the card, forms a pocket on the face of the card, and

Laietana front of the card in which a record slip or insert can be readilyfinserted from the end of the card. An important advantage of my invention arises from the fact that this record slip or insert can be readily inserted from the end of the card, while the latter is attached to the support. lln other words, when the card is attached to the support, the pocket which is open at one or both ends of the card is readily accessible "for the insertion of a record slip. This advantage is due to the fact that the card is provided with special means for attaching it to the support at points remote from the pocket ends.

Various changes in the details of the device may be adopted without departing from the scope of the invention as Idefined in the claims.

What` l claimv is 1. lln an index or file, a support, a record member detachably connected therewith, and

a protective cover for said record member displaceable thereon without detaching saidy on, while said record member is mounted on said support; substantially as described.

3. ln an index or file, the combination of a supporting strip, a card supported thereon, yand a protective sheath for the card shiftable so as to expose a portion of the latter' substantially as described.

4e. lian an index or file, a record card having means adapted to engage a support and having a transparent cover displaceable relatively to the support; substantially as describe 5. ln an index or file, a card having an attaching tongue, and a protective sheath for said card cut away to permit the manipulation of said attaching tongue; substantially as described.

6. A record member for indexes or files, comp-rising a card having a tongue cut from the body portion thereof, and a protective sheath for the card having an opening to f 1 llO i an upright support, a card secured on said v 'support so as to move vertically thereon,

and a protective sheath Jfor the card movable laterally of the support; substantially as described.

10. In an index or file, the combination of a card, means guiding said card for movement in one direction, and protective means slidable on the card in a d1rection at right angles to the first-named direction; substantially as described.

11. In an index or file, the combinationl of a plurality of cards, means nesting said cards together liatwise with their margins exposed, and protective sheaths movable lengthwise of the cards; substantially as described.

12. In an index or file, the'combination of a card, a protective sheath therefor, means carried by the card for attaching it to a support, and a record slipor insert interposed between the sheath and the card; substantially as described.

13. The combination with a record card, of a sheath slidable thereon, said sheath having finger-receiving openings formed therein, and means for limiting the sliding movement of the sheath with respect to the card; substantially vas described. v

14. The combination witha card having attaching tongues, of a protective sheath engaging the upper and lower edgesl of the card, and having openings adapted to register with said tongues; substantially as described.

15. In an index or file, a card or member having a 'tongue projecting therefrom, a sheath adapted to iit in the spacebetween said tongue and the body of the card, and a second card enclosed by said sheath; substantially as described.

16. In an index or file, the combination of a support, a plurality of cards mounted atwise thereon, each individually insertable land removable without removing the others, and a protective sheath mounted to slide on each card while the card is mounted on said support; substantially as d escribed.

17. In an index or file, a support, a record member, a transparent cover member for said record member, means for attaching one of said members to said support, the other member ,being dis laceable relatively to the first without detac ing said `first member from said support; substantially y'as described.

18. In an index or file, a support, a record member, a protective cover member for said record member, and means for attaching one of said members to said support, the other member being laterall shftable relatively-to the first member or exposing the face of said record member; substanially as described.

19. In an index or file, a support, arecord member detachably 'connected therewith, and a transparent cover member for said record member displaceable laterally of said support to expose the face of said record member without detaching said record member from said support; substantially as described.

20. In-an index or file, a guide, a record member, a protective transparent cover memberfor said record member, means for securing'one of said members to said guide so that it is movable relatively thereto, the other memberhbeing movable relatively to the guide without detaching the first member therefrom, whereby the cface of said record member may be exposed; substantially as described.

21. In an index or file, a record member, and a cover member slidably mounted on said record member having finger-receiving openingsy formed therein; substantially as described.

22. In an index or file, a card having an attaching tongue, and a protective sheath slidably mounted upon said card; substantially as described. Y

23. In an index or ile, a support, a card movable on the support, and a pocket extending across one face of the card and olpen lat its end for the insertion of a record s 1p.

24. In an index or file, a support, a card, having a pocket open at the end, movable thereon, and al record slip insertable into the .pocketed card at the end opening thereof while the latter engages the support.

25. In an index or vfile, a transparent shea-th member having rearwardly turned top and bottom retaining edges and means for attaching said sheath member to a support, so that the ends of the sheath member are open for the insertion of a record slip without disengaging said sheath member from the support. 26. In an index or file, a transparent sheath member having a pocket at the rear face of the same and open at both ends, and means for attaching said sheath member to a support at a point remote from the open pocket ends.

27. In an index or ile, a means for engagin a support and a transparent cover mem er on the front face of said card covering substantially the card from top to bottom and presenting a pocket open at the end of the card.

28. A sheath yfor having a transparent front wall and provided with a plurality of such sheaths being adapted to be nested together with an edge of one a tongue at the rear side thereof,`

card having the purpose described, 

